The Untrapped Podcast With Keith Kalfas

In this episode of The Untrapped Podcast, Keith Kalfas shares a hard lesson about pricing, setting boundaries, and refusing to let customers take advantage of your business. After agreeing to a job for less than it was worth, Keith found himself dealing with unexpected delays, overgrown landscaping, and shrinking profits. He explains how one bad decision can turn a profitable job into a frustrating experience—and why business owners must stop letting customers pressure them into lowering their prices. Keith also reveals how undercharging can create a domino effect of stress, anxiety, and poor business decisions. Through a real-life encounter with a customer who tried to negotiate a $300 job down to just $50, he demonstrates the importance of standing firm on your pricing, respecting your time, and learning when to say no. He challenges entrepreneurs to take responsibility for their mistakes, strengthen their self-worth, and build businesses that allow them to serve customers without sacrificing their profitability or personal lives. "Lesson is repeated until lesson is learned. " – Keith Kalfas What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why allowing customers to pressure you into lowering your prices can hurt your profitability and create unnecessary stress. How one underpriced landscaping job can trigger a domino effect of anxiety, frustration, and poor business decisions. Why taking responsibility for your mistakes instead of blaming customers is essential to becoming a better business owner. How Keith handles customers who try to negotiate prices, including his experience refusing a $50 offer for a tree-trimming job. Why you need to account for scheduling delays, weather conditions, and potential changes in job scope when preparing landscaping estimates. How developing stronger boundaries, self-worth, and the confidence to say no can help you build a more profitable and sustainable service business. Key Takeaways: Know Your Worth and Stop Letting Customers Dictate Your Prices Taking on jobs for less than they're worth can leave you working longer hours while earning little to no profit. Keith emphasizes the importance of establishing clear pricing policies, accounting for labor and overhead, and standing firm when customers try to negotiate below your minimum. You don't have to accept every opportunity, especially when the work could cost your business more than it's worth. Take Responsibility for Your Mistakes and Break the Cycle of Stress Blaming customers or outside circumstances when a job goes wrong only makes it harder to learn from the experience. Keith explains how one bad decision can lead to weeks of stress and frustration if you don't address the root problem. Instead of making excuses, acknowledge where you went wrong, finish the job with integrity, and use the experience to make better decisions moving forward. Protect Your Profitability by Planning Ahead and Setting Boundaries A job that looks profitable when you quote it may become much more expensive by the time your crew arrives. Keith shares how a commercial landscaping project became more difficult after several weeks of weed growth and unexpected rain. When estimating future projects, consider how conditions might change before work begins. Setting realistic prices, protecting your time, and learning to say no are essential to running a business that remains profitable as it grows. Connect with Keith Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas Resources and Websites: COME TO UNTRAPPED LIVE Join me live in Michigan: https://keithkalfas.com/untrapped-live Build Your Site: https://www.keithkalfas.com/ReBolt Call Tracking Software: https://www.keithkalfas.com/CallRail Start Getting Leads Now https://www.footbridgemedia.com/keith The Untrapped Alliance: https://www.keithkalfas.com/alliance Resources You Need To Build A Successful Business https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources 🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16 Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs Get Ballard: https://www.ballard-inc.com/ Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways LevelUp Your Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

Are you constantly lowering your landscaping prices just to win jobs, only to realize you're barely making any money? In this episode of The Untrapped Podcast, Keith Kalfas breaks down the dangerous cycle of undercharging and explains how setting a minimum job price completely transformed his landscaping business. From taking on $200 jobs that barely covered overhead to establishing a $700 minimum, Keith shares the lessons he learned about pricing, profitability, and knowing when to walk away from a customer. Keith also reveals how to calculate your actual job costs, why he targets a 50% gross profit margin, and how focusing on higher-value landscaping projects can free up your schedule to grow your business instead of constantly scrambling for the next job. Whether you're just starting your landscaping business or you're tired of working long hours without seeing the profits, this episode will help you rethink how you price your services and build a business that's actually worth running. "When you finally put your foot down and you say, 'New policy'... you have to figure out what it is for you." – Keith Kalfas What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why lowering your prices can hurt your business and how to avoid falling into the lowball trap. How setting a minimum job price changes everything, including Keith's journey from $99 jobs to a $700 minimum. Why higher-value jobs can be more profitable and create breathing room in your schedule for marketing and business growth. How to calculate your true job costs and profit margins, including Keith's approach to targeting 50% gross profit. Why Keith recommends charging at least four times an employee's hourly wage to account for overhead and keep your business profitable. How to attract more profitable landscaping clients through neighborhood marketing, customer referrals, and better business systems. Key Takeaways: Stop Undercharging and Set a Minimum Job Price Taking on low-paying jobs just to keep your calendar full can leave you overworked and barely profitable. Establish a minimum job price that covers your expenses and makes every project worth your time.. Know Your Numbers and Protect Your Profit Margins Calculate every expense, including labor, materials, insurance, fuel, and overhead, before quoting a job. Keith explains why he targets a 50% gross profit margin and recommends charging at least four times an employee's hourly wage Focus on Higher-Value Jobs to Grow Your Business Instead of filling your schedule with small, low-profit projects, prioritize jobs that generate meaningful revenue. Larger, profitable projects give you more breathing room to focus on marketing, attracting new customers, and growing your business. Connect with Keith Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas Resources and Websites: COME TO UNTRAPPED LIVE Join me live in Michigan: https://keithkalfas.com/untrapped-live Build Your Site: https://www.keithkalfas.com/ReBolt Call Tracking Software: https://www.keithkalfas.com/CallRail Start Getting Leads Now https://www.footbridgemedia.com/keith The Untrapped Alliance: https://www.keithkalfas.com/alliance Resources You Need To Build A Successful Business https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources 🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16 Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs Get Ballard: https://www.ballard-inc.com/ Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways LevelUp Your Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

In this episode of The Untrapped Podcast, Keith travels to Phoenix, Arizona to sit down with Curt Kempton, founder of ResponsiBid, to talk about building a business around systems, people, and the problems you understand better than anyone else. Curt shares how struggling with sales in his own window cleaning and pressure washing company eventually inspired him to create software that could automate the sales process for home service businesses. He also breaks down how he stays organized, hires people who are smarter than him, builds a strong team culture, and keeps the business moving without trying to do everything himself. Curt also opens up about self-doubt, profitability, leadership, and one of the biggest mistakes ResponsiBid ever made—a massive software update that created bugs, frustrated customers, and pushed the team to its limits. Through it all, Curt explains why successful business owners need to focus on their strengths, build systems around their weaknesses, and genuinely care about both their team and their customers. "It's my job to make sure that I don't get locked up in the things that I don't know, and maximize and showcase the things that I do know, and hire the people to fill in between." – Curt Kempton What You'll Learn in This Episode: How Curt turned a problem in his service business into a successful software company Why surrounding yourself with smarter people can lead to better business decisions How simple systems helped Curt stay organized and manage his ADD Why the "Who, Not How" mindset changed the way he approaches hiring Why your weaknesses don't have to hold you back as a business owner Why new businesses should focus on becoming profitable as quickly as possible How building and developing a strong team can multiply your impact Why business owners should focus on their team, not just their customers What Curt learned from one of ResponsiBid's biggest software mistakes Why genuinely caring more about your customers can become a competitive advantage Key Takeaways: You don't have to be the smartest person in your business. Curt intentionally involves people who are smarter than him when making difficult decisions. Instead of trying to master every part of the company himself, he focuses on what he understands best and hires people who can fill the gaps. Build systems around the things you already do. Curt explains that staying organized became easier when he stopped relying on memory and started putting important tasks directly in the path of his existing habits. From reminders and meetings to workouts, the goal is to make the right action difficult to miss. Move fast, but don't change everything at once. After ResponsiBid released one of its biggest software updates all at once, the company faced bugs, confused customers, and months of difficult recovery work. Curt learned that progress needs to happen incrementally so problems can be identified and fixed before they compound. Connect with Curt Website: https://responsibid.com/ Connect with Keith Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas Resources and Websites: Build Your Site: https://www.keithkalfas.com/ReBolt Call Tracking Software: https://www.keithkalfas.com/CallRail Start Getting Leads Now https://www.footbridgemedia.com/keith The Untrapped Alliance: https://www.keithkalfas.com/alliance Resources You Need To Build A Successful Business https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources 🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16 Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs Get Ballard: https://www.ballard-inc.com/ Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways LevelUp Your Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

Being booked out for months doesn't mean much if you finish the year with barely any money in the bank. In this episode, Keith shares the landscaping business lessons he learned through years of saying yes to too many jobs, driving too far for work, and grinding seven days a week without enough profit to show for it. He breaks down the journey from "Chuck in a Truck" to "Possibility Pete" to "Abundant Anthony"—moving from survival mode to a business with clear systems, predictable cash flow, and a better understanding of what to charge. Keith explains how narrowing his service area, becoming more selective about customers, and replacing low-profit jobs helped him change the way he ran his business. He also shares why checking your calendar before making commitments matters, especially when you're trying to protect time with your family. If you've been working hard for years and still feel stuck, Keith offers an honest look at how experienced contractors, coaching, and accountability can help you recognize the habits that are holding you back. "You don't want everybody. You want the somebodies." – Keith Kalfas What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why a full calendar doesn't always mean you're running a profitable business The difference between taking calculated risks and risking a customer's trust The three stages Keith describes in growing a small landscaping business Why marketing, administration, production, and sales all need your attention How shrinking your service area can reduce wasted travel time Why you should review pricing and capacity before committing to another job How to gradually replace low-profit work with better-fitting customers and projects Why family commitments and vacations need to be booked in advance How learning from experienced contractors can reveal habits that are costing you money How coaching can help you address accountability, pricing fears, and self-belief Key Takeaways: Build a business that leaves you with money after the work is done. More customers and more jobs can create more chaos if the work isn't profitable. Keith explains why you need to understand your costs, reduce unnecessary travel, and make better use of the limited space on your calendar. Become more selective as your business grows. Early on, you may need to take whatever work you can responsibly deliver. As your lead flow improves, you can raise prices on underpriced accounts, phase out work that no longer fits, and make room for jobs that support a healthier business. Experience helps most when you use it to change your decisions. Working harder year after year won't fix every problem. Keith shares how learning from other contractors and working with a coach helped him question old habits, follow through on changes, and recognize the fears influencing his business decisions. Connect with Keith Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas Resources and Websites: 4 Steps to Training Employees: https://www.keithkalfas.com/4steps Build Your Site: https://www.keithkalfas.com/ReBolt Call Tracking Software: https://www.keithkalfas.com/CallRail Start Getting Leads Now https://www.footbridgemedia.com/keith The Untrapped Alliance: https://www.keithkalfas.com/alliance Resources You Need To Build A Successful Business https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources 🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16 Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs Get Ballard: https://www.ballard-inc.com/ Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways LevelUp Your Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

In this episode, Keith sits down with Jeff Michaels, founder of Pondering Waters, to unpack the lessons Jeff has learned over 28 years in the pond and water-feature industry. Jeff shares how a backyard hobby turned into a full-time business after he was laid off from the automotive industry. He explains why ponds can become high-ticket projects with valuable recurring revenue, how collaboration helped him take on larger builds across the country, and why some of his toughest jobs became his best learning experiences. Keith and Jeff also discuss pricing jobs correctly, listening for a customer's real pain points, setting expectations before work begins, using Jobber to organize operations, and hiring people who can handle the parts of the business that fall outside their strengths. "Sometimes problems are blessings because if you don't run into these problems, you'll never know how to fix them." – Jeff Michaels What You'll Learn in This Episode: How Jeff turned a backyard hobby into a 28-year pond business Why getting laid off gave Jeff the push he needed to work for himself How pond installations can add a high-ticket service to a landscaping business Why maintenance, cleanouts, and winterization create recurring revenue How collaboration helps contractors take on larger and more complex projects Why mistakes and difficult jobs can become valuable learning experiences How Jobber simplified Jeff's quoting, scheduling, routing, and customer management Why listening to a customer's pain points is more effective than constantly selling How setting expectations and boundaries prevents problems during a project Why hiring specialists allows business owners to focus on what they do best Key Takeaways: Problems can become some of your most valuable business lessons. Unexpected challenges are frustrating, but they also teach you how to handle situations that no course or manual can fully prepare you for. Every difficult project gives you experience that can help you approach the next one with greater confidence. Recurring service can be more valuable than the original project. Jeff once spent a month completing a large pond project and only broke even. However, that customer continued hiring him for annual cleanouts, startups, and winterization services, showing how a long-term relationship can eventually become more valuable than the initial installation. Listen for the customer's pain before trying to make the sale. Contractors often focus so much on explaining and selling that they miss the real reason the customer wants the work done. Asking the right questions and allowing customers to talk helps uncover their pain points, establish trust, and make the sale more naturally. Connect with Jeff Youtube: @PonderingWaters Website: ponderingwaters.com Connect with Keith Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas Resources and Websites: Build Your Site: https://www.keithkalfas.com/ReBolt Call Tracking Software: https://www.keithkalfas.com/CallRail Start Getting Leads Now https://www.footbridgemedia.com/keith The Untrapped Alliance: https://www.keithkalfas.com/alliance Resources You Need To Build A Successful Business https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources 🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16 Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs Get Ballard: https://www.ballard-inc.com/ Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways LevelUp Your Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP